Playmates Toys
action figures.]] Playmates Toys is a toy manufacturer that produced a number of lines of Star Trek action figures, vehicles and accessories in the mid to late 1990s. History The line was launched in fall 1992 with a series of action figures based on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Nearly the entire [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)|USS Enterprise-D]] crew was represented, plus Gowron, a Ferengi, a Borg, and a Romulan. Roleplaying items included a type-2 phaser and communicator, while a shuttlecraft was produced for the figures, all with lights and sounds. A model of the Enterprise-D was also released. The line was quite successful, and another wave of TNG figures, accessories, and vehicles was produced in fall 1993 along with a special boxset of all seven original series crewmembers. ''Deep Space Nine'' debuted in 1994, followed by more TNG characters plus a line for the feature film Star Trek: Generations. ''Voyager'' figures arrived in 1995, as did more TOS, TNG, and DS9 items. By 1996, the separate lines were all consolidated under a single "Star Trek" banner (with the exception of releases based on Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: Insurrection). However, the license began to decline by 1998. Some collectors believed that promotional stunts by Playmates, such as intentionally producing some figures in lower amounts, and a shift in emphasis from the smaller 4.5-inch figures to larger doll-like 9- and 12-inch figures hurt the brand. By 1999, the amount of items produced by Playmates mostly dwindled to limited releases offered exclusively through certain retailers. On September 17, 1999, the Star Trek line was formally cancelled. Trivia * For an unknown reason, Beverly Crusher was the only of the main seven TNG characters not included in the first wave of figures. She was later released in the 1993 assortment. * Ezri Dax is the only main cast member from the four series in existence during the Playmates license not to receive an action figure. * The TNG crew in the Star Trek: Generations line were produced wearing the new uniforms eventually dropped from the production. The new uniforms were dropped at last minute, and the action figures did not reflect this since their design needed to be finalized before production began. Playmates eventually produced figures of Jean-Luc Picard, Data, Geordi La Forge, Worf, and Beverly Crusher in the DS9-style uniforms (although Worf was in a red command uniform from his DS9 appearances and Beverly was never seen wearing the DS9-style uniform). * Similarly, the ''Enterprise''-E released for Star Trek: First Contact more closely reflects many of John Eaves's early design concepts since the toy's design was finalized well before the actual ship's was. * The Star Trek: Voyager production staff used parts of Borg action figures to create the pile of Borg corpses as seen in VOY: "Scorpion." *Considered the rarest TNG action figure, "'Redemption' Data" was a Data variant in a red command uniform, however, Data never wore this uniform in that episode. See also * Mego: the original producers of Star Trek action figures based on the original series and first three feature films * Galoob: the previous action figure license holder (from 1988 to 1989) and producer of MicroMachines during the Playmates license * Art Asylum/Diamond Select Toys: the present action figure license holder (since 2002) External links * * Playmates Toys official site Category:Collectibles